Jakarta – An alliance of hundreds of Papuan students from the Front Against Militarism and Investment held a protest action in front of the Human Rights Ministry offices on Monday May 11. Starting at 10 am, they delivered loud speeches urging the Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai to meet them in person.
The action was sparked by concerns over the armed violence in Moanemani, Dogiyai regency, Central Papua, at the end of March, which claimed five lives, and a series of similar incidents that have yet to be resolved.
The situation became tense when some participants attempted to push against and pull down the building's perimeter fence. The crowd also brought posters with their demands, danced, and played traditional music while continuously calling out the minister's name.
"Natalius Pigai must come out and listen to us. We demand justice, just as he once fought for it", stated action deputy coordinator Laban Jingga, referring to when Pigai led the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).
They also highlighted Pigai's statement that he had understood human rights issues since childhood and demanded that he fulfill his promise of concrete action.
Responding to the growing tension at the rally, field coordinator Oktowimelek Gobay quickly brought the crowd under control and asked them to retreat for the sake of order. They agreed to set a deadline of 12 noon to wait for an official response.
Data from Komnas HAM Papua covering early 2026 notes that four major violent incidents occurred which resulted in 14 people being killed, 13 residents tortured and dozens forced to evacuate. These incidents included incidents in Boven Digoel, Maybrat, Tambrauw and Dogiyai regencies.
"We hope this peaceful demonstration will receive serious attention. Thank you to the authorities and all parties who maintained order so that there were no additional victims. We hope our demands are heard, the perpetrators of the violence are prosecuted, and the Papuan people can finally live in peace, security, and have their rights respected", said Gobay representing the protesters.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Aliansi Mahasiswa Papua Demo KemHAM, Desak Natalius Pigai Tangani Kasus Kekerasan di Dogiyai".]